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Emilie Surrusco

LOS ANGELES—Delegates at the American Federation of Teachers national convention voted overwhelmingly to re-elect AFT President Randi Weingarten to a third term. The vote affirms the AFT's commitment to solution-driven, community-engaged and member-empowered unionism that focuses on uniting union members, the people they serve and the communities in which they live. Also re-elected to lead the 1.6 million-member union was AFT Secretary-Treasurer Lorretta Johnson, who has held that position since 2011.

Joining Weingarten and Johnson as the AFT's new executive vice president is the president of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers, Mary Cathryn Ricker. Ricker will replace Francine Lawrence, who plans to retire this year.

Ricker has led AFT Local 28 since 2005 and has been a member of the AFT K-12 Teachers program and policy council since 2006. She has previously represented the AFT internationally in Finland and the Middle East; and she has represented the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers on mayoral Sister City delegations to Germany and Mexico. Ricker is a National Board Certified middle school English teacher who has taught in classrooms all across the country and internationally.

The union also elected 43 vice presidents representing each of the AFT's divisions: K-12 teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; public employees; and healthcare workers.

"Over the coming two years, we will work to achieve all these dreams—of a more just society; an economy that works for all Americans; healthcare that puts patients ahead of profits; and public education from early childhood through 16 and more that nurtures the potential of every student in every way," said Weingarten. "But dreaming does not mean dozing. We are leaving this convention charged up. Fired up."

"Let us not waver in our commitment to make sure that every child, no matter their ZIP code, gets an amazing public education," said Johnson. "Let us not falter in our fight to collectively bargain for wages and benefits."

"I am energized by this convention and the mandate you've given our union and us leaders to work tirelessly to reclaim the promise of America and restore the gains that have been rolled back—by being solution-driven, community-engaged, member-involved and, yes, I guess this Minnesotan can be a little badass too," said Ricker.

The AFT has been holding its biennial convention, which began on July 11 and ends today, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Earlier in the convention, the more than 3,500 delegates passed a series of resolutions and special orders of business to increase educational and economic opportunity, including:

The AFT represents 1.6 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

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The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.